Over the last few years, the anniversary of the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, on January 22nd, has been marked by significant events, held on the battlefields themselves. 1992, for example, saw the opening of the battlefield Museum at Rorke's Drift, an event which was attended by both the Zulu King, His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, and dignitaries from South Africa and the UK. In 1993, the 'battlefield reserve' at Isandlwana was proclaimed open in a markedly Zulu event, which included the marvellous spectacle of scores of Zulu 'warriors', in full traditional regalia, parading on the slopes of the famous mountain.

This year, however, the ceremonies were deliberately lowkey, reflecting the fact that not only were there no new aspects of the battlefields to open officially, but that the Zulu leaders were preoccupied with the momentous business of building the new South Africa. Nevertheless, there was a small but moving ceremony held on the sites on the 22nd, which this year fell on a Sunday. The local branch of the M.O.T.H.s - 'Memorable Order Of Tin Hats, a South African ex-servicemen's organisation, roughly the equivalent of our British Legion - held a small service at Rorke's Drift itself, where the flag of he Royal Regiment of Wales was lowered to the sound of the Last Post, and pipers played the Lament.

This service was particularly significant this year since it was attended by Brigadier David Bromhead (at right), the great, great nephew of Lt. Gonville Bromhead, who won the VC during the defence. Brigadier Bromhead has recently been made 'Colonel of the Regiment' of the RRW, thereby taking a distinguished family association with the regiment to its logical conclusion.

Bromhead at Melvill's and Coghill's grave, January 22, 1995. Frere's Cross has been erected at the head of the grave.

Following the service at Rorke's Drift, there was another a few miles down the road at Fugitives' Drift, at the spot where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill of the 24th were killed, having tried unsuccessfully to save the Queen's Colour of the 1st 24th in the aftermath of Isandlwana. Melvill and Coghill lie buried at the foot of a large rock, overlooking the valley of the Mzinyathi river. In 1879, a stone cross, paid for by the British High Commissioner Sir Henry Bartle Frere, was erected on top of the rock as a monument. In the 1970s, however, the grave was vandalised; the cross was knocked off, and the grave itself disturbed.

At the time, the, National Monuments Council replaced Frere's cross with a new one in black marble. For over a decade it was widely believed that Frere's cross had been smashed beyond repair, and discarded, but a local historian, Mr Ken Gillings, working with representatives of the, War Graves Commission, eventually tracked it down. It had apparently been put into storage and forgotten about. Last year the cross was returned to the Fugitives' Drift site, an(] at the beginning of this year was re-erected on the grave. It was decided not to take down the newer black marble cross, since this in itself has become part of the site, and instead Frere's cross has been cemented into place at tbe foot of the rock, directly at the bead of the, grave itself'.

On 22nd January this year, the cross was re-dedicated in the presence of Brigadier Bromhead, and the British Military Attache to South Africa. A service was conducted by the Padre of the Natal Carbineers - an appropriate choice, given the role played by the Carbineers in the Isandlwana story - and the Last Post was sounded. It was an eerie and moving experience to hear the mournful notes ofthe bugle echoing across the hills which, 116 years earlier, had been the scene of such bloodshed.

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